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(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. P. WRIGHT.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. No. 369,148 Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

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- A. P. WRIGHT. Y

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

No. 369,148. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

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{No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A; P. WRIGHT.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. I No. 369,148. Patented Aug. 30, 1887,.

QVLWAMA- lu-U041 l'oz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ATWILL P. WRIGHT, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 369,148, dated August30, 1887. I

Application filed May 19, 1887. Serial No. 238,772. (No model.)

had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspectiveview of same as erected for service; Fig. 2, a side elevation when inposition for vertical storage; Fig. 3,

in position for raising from horizontal storage; Fig. 4, an edge view ofladders folded for horizontal storage; Fig. 5, a side view thereof infolded position; Fig. 6, a perspective view of ladder as erected forservice, the sides of the ladders provided with the grapples beingtoward us for better illustration; Fig. 7, an en larged detail of theladder-rail, vertical rod, and grapple in closed position thereon, and

. Fig. 8, a similar view, with grapple shown in operative position.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. Y.

My invention relates to that branch 'or subclass of fire-escapes knownas portable ladder escapes. My object is to improve their constructionand operation, and utility also; and my invention consists in theseveral novel features of construction and operation, hereinafterdescribed, and specifically set forth in the several clauses of theclaim hereunto annexed.

It is constructed as follows: A B are ladders hinged together at theirupper ends, and provided with rollers 1 at their lower ends, saidrollers or wheels being secured upon a trans verse shaft, 2, journaledin the lower ends of the ladder-rails. The ladders are also con nectedtogether when opened by the adjustable braces 3. The shaft 2 is providedwith a central pulley, 4, over which a belt, 23, runs to a pulley, 24,upon the Windlass-beam 5. This beam is provided with pawl-and-ratchetdevices 6 7, the teeth of one ratchet standing in an opposite directionto those of the other, and 8 8 are ropes connected to the ladder B, andwound upon the Windlass erected on ladder A, and by the winding up orunwinding of these ropes the distance between the bases of the laddersis varied, as desired. Upon the shaft 2, I also mount the arms 9, eachof which is provided with a stop-roller of rubber or flexible material,which rollers can be thrown up out of the way, or down in front of thewheels 1, and operate as stops to prevent the wheels from slidingoutward.

O is a side brace-bar connected to the hinge connecting the ladders, andadapted to brace the whole against tipping sidewise or outward. Thisbrace is made adjustable, when desired, as to length.

D is an adjustable grapple, mounted and adapted to slide vertically uponthe rods 10, secured upon the side rails of the ladders. The sides ofthis grapple are first hinged to the slides 11, and, secondly, are madein sections 12 13, hinged together, and the whole is adapted to fold up,as shown in Fig. 7, against and compress the spring 20. The outer endsof the sections 13 are provided with hooks 14., adapted to hook over awindow-sill. These outer sections, 13, are metallic, or heavy enough,sothat when quickly'thrown over they will smash through a window sash andglass, the hook catching over and into the sill. They can be thrown overand the grapple unfolded by the spring 20, when the rope 15 isslackened, while the rope 16 is used to adjust the height of thegrapple, as may be desirable. A stop, 21, is also provided to regulatethe section 13 and the hook. Also, by the rope 22 and the guiderope 17,1can raise or lower the basket 18, to remove people from a building.

When the ladders are folded together, as shown in Fig. 4, to raise them,I open out on edge and then turn over flat, as shown in Fig. 3, and thenby raising the center a little and winding upon the Windlass the ropeswill draw the bases of the ladders inward upon the wheels, elevating thecenter until raised, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings. It canalso be drawn up about as shown in Fig. 2 for' vertical storage, inwhich case it is opened'out for use by pulling the bases of the laddersapart or loosening the stop-rollers and slackening the ropes 8, or byremoving the stops and rotating the Windlass backward, when the belt 23will rotate the pulley 4 and wheels 1.

It will be observed that the rotation of the Windlass rotates the shaftand wheels upon the ladder A, and that the rotation of this shaft willalso rotate the windlass and wind up or unwind the ropes when theratchet-and-pawl devices are properly adjusted. It will also be observedthat the bearing-pieces carrying the shafts and wheels upon the bases ofthe ladders are also adapted to be adjusted vertically, so that theladders will stand erect upon sloping or uneven ground. Furthermore, itwill be observed that this ladder can be used as a scaffold orscaffoldsupport for painters and builders, and also as a derrick and forother similar purposes.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the ladder is shown in position for horizontal storage,with chains suitably attaehed to hold the ladder-sections together; alsoin Fig. 2, when in position for vertical storage, I draw a chain aroundthe upper rounds of the ladders to prevent any liability of theirspreading apart through accidental handling, &c.

Having-described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A fire-escape ladder consisting of the ladders A B, hinged togetherand mounted upon wheels and provided with stop-rollers, and anadjustable grapple mounted upon the ladders, substantially as described.

2. A grapple consisting of side rails provided with hooks and hinged toslides fitting upon rods secured to the ladder-rails, substantially asdescribed.

3. A fire'cscapeladder consisting of the ladders A B, mounted uponwheels provided with stop-rollers, ropes connecting the ladders and aWindlass mounted thereon, and a grapple mounted upon said ladders,substantially as described.

4. The journal shaft 2, having mounted thereon arms provided withstop-rollers, in combination with the wheels 1, secured upon said shaft,substantially as described.

5. The combination,with the wheel l, mou nted upon an axle, of astop-roller pivotally secured at the axis of said wheel, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the Windlass mounted upon ladder-A, ropes 8,connected thereto and to ladder B, and the ladders A B, of substantiallyequal length, hinged together at one of their ends and provided withwheels and stoprollers, substantially as described.

7 In a fire-escape ladder, an adjustable grapple adapted to slidevertically upon a rodsccured to the ladder-rails, in combination with aspring, 20, attached to the grapple and adapted to bear against the rod,substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

8. The ladders A 13, provided with grapples and hinged together andmounted upon wheels, in combination with the adjustable brace 3,connecting the same,substantially as described.

9. The ladders A B, hinged together and provided with carrying-wheelsand stop-rollers, in combination with the side brace-bar, C,substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of April,1887.

ATVILL P. \VR IGHT.

In presence of- WM. 0. RAYMOND, WM. Boon.

Correction in Letters'iPareni No. 369,148.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 369,148, grantedAugust 30, 188 the application of Atwill P Wright, of Syracuse, NewYork, for an iinprevei Fire-Escape Ledders, an error appears iii theprinted specification requiring tion as follows: In line 38, page 2, theWord journal-shaft should have been journaled-shaft; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this 00 therein that the same mayconform to the record of the ease in the Patent Offi Signed,countersig'ned, and sealed this 6th day of September, A. D. 1887.

D. L. HAWKIN; Acting Secretary of the [SEAL] Countersigned BENTON J.HALL,

Commissioner of Patents.

